Pacifica's Roadside Attraction
by blindbat1192
Summary: An AU in which Pacifica is literally dragged into Grunkle Stan's revenge trip...as punishment from her parents for her rebellious behavior in NMM. But perhaps a certain boy who helped Pacifica see a different side of herself might make the road trip worthwhile?
1. Chapter 1

**This probably won't be the longest fanfic I write, and I'm still working on a couple other things, but the idea sort of popped into my head, and as usual, I wanted to get it down before it slipped my mind.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls.**

* * *

Pacifica Northwest took no joy in driving in her family limo down to the Mystery Shack. Well, the limo itself was fine. It was probably the only modern form of wealth they had, in comparison to an old haunted manor loitered with massive, egocentric paintings or wines imported from other countries; nowhere else could Pacifica have access to a cooler full of Pit Cola (minus the pits) and a flatscreen TV hanging over the sofas. What made the rise unpleasant was not only sharing it with her parents, but also the purpose of their visit. She had been told she would get some form of punishment for her "irresponsible" actions at the party. The good news was that it didn't involve ringing 'the bell'. The bad news was that neither of her parents said a word about what it would be.

But what kind of punishment could await her at the Mystery Shack?

* * *

"Nice. And don't forget bug spray! It's perfect for spraying in the face of hitchhikers!"

Grunkle Stan had been boarding a rickety RV with suitcases, with Soos and Mabel helping out. Dipper had just left the Shack after more paranormal studies with Ford. Only now did he notice the worn-out vehicle, and now that he knew Grunkle Stan's true history, one conclusion came to mind.

"Whoa. An RV? Camping gear? Are you running from the law again?"

The conversation played out as normal. As the Northwest limo pulled up, Soos and Stan were persuading Dipper to tag along, and Mabel's two besties, Candy and Grenda, were already prepared for their trip. Pacifica wasn't a lip or mind reader, so she couldn't determine the specifics of their conversation. But then it occurred to her that it looked like everyone was _leaving_ the Shack, and judging by the suitcases, they planned to be gone for an extended amount of time. So what could her parents possibly have in mind by having her punishment here at the Shack?

"What's with the limo?" asked Dipper, "That's not a government van, is it? Grunkle Stan, are you sure you're not running from the law?"

"Trust me kid, I know government cars," Grunkle Stan replied, "And that ain't one."

Dipper got his real answer once he saw Preston and Priscilla Northwest step out of the back. Which probably meant...

"Pacifica's here?" asked Dipper.

"Oh hey Pacifica!" Mabel shouted out as the blonde girl stepped out of the limo, "I didn't know you were stopping by!"

"Neither did I."

Pacifica bore a soft smile upon seeing the Pines twins, but tried not to look at Candy and Grenda. She barely noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that the two of them were not very pleased with seeing her. Even if they were invited to her family's super fancy party (through bargaining with Dipper), they weren't really around for everything she had been through with the Pines twins. So while she could understand why the two still wouldn't like her, it didn't make her feel any better.

"So... _why_ are the Northwests at the Mystery Shack?" asked Dipper.

Stan didn't say a word, but stood still as Preston approached him, while Priscilla stayed by the limo, pompously admiring herself in the portable mirror she conveniently brought along with her...all the time. The two men simply stared at each other, the older man shorter than the other, but it didn't look like there would be any fisticuffs or sneering happening.

"So we're good on our agreement?" asked Preston.

"As long as you keep your end, I'll keep mine," Stan replied.

"And you're assured she'll at _least_ come back alive?"

"I'm lazy, not neglectful," Stan replied, "She'll be back in one piece."

"Very well," Preston replied, "Here's your share."

To everyone's surprise, Preston took out a considerably large stack of $100 bills from his back pocket (there was probably more in his other pockets) and handed them to Stan.

"Uh, Grunkle Stan, what's going on?" Dipper asked, "Why are you taking money from _him_?"

Dipper and Preston glared at each other from the corner of their eyes. They still did not like each other, and it was no big secret to anyone else. Especially Pacifica. She was there when the two had their ugly confrontation in the front room of the manor.

"Hey Pacifica," Mabel said, finally approaching Pacifica, "Whatcha doin' way out here? Come to say goodbye? Me and my besties are going with Grunkle Stan and Dippingsauce on a road trip! Oh yeah, and Soos is tagging along too!"

"Wait, who said _I_ was going?" asked Dipper.

"Anyway, it'd totally be fun to have another girl on the trip!" Mabel excitedly replied.

"Uh, yeah," Pacifica said, "I know we're moving on from...well, our past and everything, but I'm not as spontaneous as you. I don't like the idea of close quarters with too many people...on the road, no less. But yeah, hope you have fun."

There was no mockery in her voice, but that didn't mean Grenda and Candy weren't a little on the edge around her.

"Don't be so quick to dismiss," Preston said, "Because you're going with them."

"What?" asked Pacifica and Dipper.

"Really?!" Mabel asked.

"I did say you would be punished for your irresponsible behavior at the family party," Preston said, looking down on his daughter, "Traveling with the less refined on the road in the middle of nowhere without the luxuries you never seem to appreciate should be punishment enough."

"But Dad, I'm totally unprepared!"

"No sweat, Pacifica!" Mabel said, "I packed plenty of clothes for the three of us! There's no reason I can't share some of my sweaters with you! By the by, did you ever learn how to pronounce it?"

"Shaw-shaw-shaw-ring?" Pacifica asked.

"We can practice on the road!" Mabel exclaimed, "C'mon, we should get the best seats!"

Mabel dragged Pacifica towards the RV, leaving Grenda and Candy to wonder why Mabel suddenly got girly and friendly with the most popular girl in Gravity Falls. Preston walked off, not bothering to say goodbye to Stan or to his daughter, simply getting back in the limo with his vain wife and driving off.

"So _that_ _'s_ what that weird staredown and payoff was about?" Dipper asked, "He's paying you to take Pacifica with you on a road trip?"

"Hey, ten grand is ten grand," Grunkle Stan replied, "If watching someone else's kid gets me an easy paycheck, I ain't complaining."

"And who said you weren't coming?" asked Mabel, still having Pacifica stand near them, while the former conveniently grabbed suitcases from the side, "I already went to the trouble of packing all your stuff. Even the stuff you kept in that secret box under the bed."

No sooner did she say that when she dropped the box, with pictures of Wendy falling out. Dipper became visibly embarrassed as he tried to pick up the photos. Pacifica vaguely recognized the girl in the photos, she had only seen her once at the Shack party. Other than that, she didn't even know her name or what she meant to Dipper.

"Whoa, what the...ugh, what's that?" Mabel groaned.

"Uh, nothing!" Dipper exclaimed, "Just...Wendy stuff...from old times."

Mabel and Soos simultaneously groaned.

"W-Who's Wendy?" Pacifica asked, uncharacteristically nervous.

"The girl Dipper used to like," Mabel said, "The one he _said_ he was over with."

"I know, I know!" moaned Dipper, "I know she's not interested and I know it's over, but how do you just turn off the way you feel about someone?"

"Two words, Dipper," Mabel replied, "Move. On."

 _That's easier said than done_ , Pacifica thought.

"Yeah, dude," Soos said, "And a road trip's the perfect place to meet new people!"

"What's...wrong with people he already knows?" Pacifica asked.

"Oh, he's gotta meet someone new to take his mind off things!" Mabel exclaimed, "Now come on, Pacifica! I've got sweaters with your name on them!"

As Pacifica was dragged onto the RV by Mabel, she turned her head looking back at Soos offering whatever passed off as man-to-man advice. But Dipper's question stuck in her mind.

 _How_ do _you turn off the way you feel about someone?_


	2. Chapter 2

**FYI, all of the cryptograms I use in this fanfic are decoded with Caesar cipher.**

* * *

The most Pacifica could do without feeling too uncomfortable on the drive was look at her nails, which she barely had time to manicure before being thrown into this surprise trip. Candy was ogling the travel brochures while Mabel and Grenda were chasing each other around with what looked like more of her sweaters. When Pacifica had come out of the back room wearing one of Mabel's sweaters, it nearly sucked up her neck, much like what happened with Dipper when he first put on one of the suits at her mansion. As soon as Dipper saw it, he laughed and called it karma.

"How's the new outfit, Your Majesty?" Dipper asked.

"Oh, stuff it," Pacifica replied, loosening the sweater's grip on her neck, "For starters, I'm not being spoiled. I just rearranged some of your stuff to have a reasonable amount of personal space."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dipper said, "You didn't happen to touch any of my, uh... _personal_ belongings?"

"And _that_ brings me to my second point..."

At the same time, Mabel had been sitting up front with Grunkle Stan driving, trying to concentrate on the road without being distracted by Mabel's talk about her sudden distaste for unicorns.

"Kid, do you mind?" asked Stan, "I hate unicorns as much as the next guy, but if you keep talking, _they_ won't be the death of us."

"Awww, don't be such a pouty-face, Grunkle Stan," Mabel said, "What's not to like about a long, long drive on an empty road with almost nothing but trees in sight?"

"Gas prices, cracks in the road, being trapped with someone you hate..." Stan answered nonchalantly.

"You know you like me and Dipper," Mabel teased.

"Of course I do," Stan said, "Fortunately, I wasn't talking about you two."

"Well you can't possibly hate Soos," Mabel said, "He's like a son to you!"

"Hey, I like the guy, but do NOT disturb the delicate relationship between an employer and his handyman!" Stan exclaimed.

Mabel gasped before saying, "Why Candy and Grenda? I thought you enjoyed having the, over! All those times the four of us watched Duck-tective together!"

"Jeez, Mabel, I'm not talking about them either!"

Mabel had run out of guesses, almost completely forgetting about one more. One that had been a bit last minute...

"You don't mean...Pacifica?"

"Bingo, kiddo," Stan said, not taking his eyes off the road, "Now be helpful and put this wrinkly old map in the glove compartment. Not gonna need it as long as I have my keen sense of tracking shady proprietors."

After doing what she was told, Mabel immediately went back to the previous subject, asking "But why?"

"You seriously have to ask?" Stan asked her, "I mean, she's been a brat as long as I can remember, but this summer with the two of you here? Something just cranked it up a notch in her."

"...but she's not like that anymore."

"Kid, as long as I've lived, there's one thing I've learned over the years, and that's people don't change," Stan said, "Take Ford, for example. He was an overachieving know-it-all when we were young, and he's the same way now. The Northwests are no different. Once a snobby scumbag, always a snobby scumbag."

"Then why did you let her come with us, Grunkle Stan?" asked Mabel.

"Easy paycheck," he replied, "Her old man paid me thousands to bring her along. But if she isn't bringing in the dough for me, she ain't worth my time or attention."

"Grunkle Stan, why are you being so..."

"Look, let's just leave it as me being a concerned family member; it's not easy watching your loved ones get picked on. I wanted to pummel kids who did that to my brother, and I definitely want to pummel kids who mess with you and your brother. I'm just trying to protect you; that's never going to change."

The R.V started to slow down as it made a turn onto the next exit.

"Look, can we just drop the whole subject, please?" asked Stan, "We're about to hit our first stop, and I don't want something sour like this ruining our revenge trip."

Ignoring the handicap sign at the parking spot, Stan parked there anyway. Pacifica didn't notice until everyone but Soos was off the vehicle.

"Um, Stan?" asked Pacifica, "Shouldn't you be saving that parking spot for..."

"It's Mr. Pines, kid," Stan growled, "And who says I'm not? As soon as Soos puts up my fake handicap permit, no one will know the difference. Speaking of which...SOOS! Put up the handicap permit!"

"Yes sir, Mr. Pines sir!" Soos called out from the van.

Mr. Pines went off to do his usual scheming as part of his revenge trip. Pacifica got the vibe Stan didn't enjoy having her along.

"You'll get used to it, dude," Soos said coming from the vehicle, "Everyone except Dipper and Mabel calls him Mr. Pines."

"And...you don't mind him ordering you around like a slave?"

"I'd do anything for the Pines family!" Soos replied, "And I mean ANYTHING. Even for his strange twin brother that came from the portal."

"What twin...actually, never mind," Pacifica said, "If it was important, Dipper probably would have told me."

"You dudes are getting pretty close, huh?" Soos asked.

"He's not so bad when you get your life saved by him," Pacifica replied, "But DON'T tell Mabel any of this! I just know she's gonna try playing matchmaker if she knew I liked D...uh, never mind, I don't know why I'm even telling you this."

"Mabel's a visionary, dude!" Soos exclaimed, "She could make cats and dogs fall in love! And those things fight like cats and dogs!"

"You can't make people fall in love!" Pacifica exclaimed, "It has to happen naturally, unexpectedly...maybe...maybe with someone you never thought you'd fall for..."

Pacifica stopped herself once she realized what she had just been saying, all of which came out a little too naturally.

"Well, not that I know from any personal experience," Pacifica said, "I just watch a lot of romcoms."

"Heh, whatever you say, dude," Soos said adjusting his cap.

"NOW!" Stan screamed.

All of a sudden, everyone started running back into the R.V, cuing Soos and Pacifica to do the same. At some point as Stan was driving off, Pacifica could have sworn she heard an old lady screaming "I'll get you, Stan Pines!" She wasn't quite sure what Stan did (until she looked out the window and saw a giant ball of yarn being unraveled with the string attached to their vehicle).

But she did know that if she couldn't control her feelings, it would be a very long road trip.

 **AXOIBKB FP LKIV X JFKLO MOLYIBJ QEFP QFJB. QEB OBXI QFOBXQ ZLJBP FK QEB CLOJ LC X CLRKQXFK.**


	3. Chapter 3

Pacifica suddenly remembered why, despite all the fairs and festivals she attended, some willingly, others to keep up appearances for the Northwest family name, she NEVER did any ride more intense than a carousel ride. She easily got VERY sick. The next tourist trap had involved an upside-down house. It was a simple trick for everyone to rub velcro on their shoes before stepping on the wheel that flipped them upside down. But the blood in Pacifica's body began to run to her head, as well as whatever she had eaten thay day. Desperate to relieve herself of the pain, she deliberately jumped up to fall back to the ground floor before rushing outside and vomiting in the nearest bush.

 _That is_ not _dignified_ , Pacifica thought, _Northwest or not_.

She decided it would probably be best if she just went and relaxed inside the R.V. Walking by the gift shop, however, she saw everyone _else_ running back to the R.V as well. Somehow, the upside-down house was now right-side-up. Probably part of Stan's revenge trip. She quickly made her way onto the R.V with them as yet another angry proprietor cursed out Stan Pines.

The other three girls (and Soos) were in the back playing a card game (the cards had Dream Boys High memorabilia printed on them) while Dipper rode shotgun. Pacifica simply laid down on one of the seats, giving her stomach, and her mind, a much needed break.

"I can't believe it worked," Dipper told Stan, "What do I do now? Do I email her?"

 _Her?_ Pacifica asked herself, _Who's 'her'? Is he still talking about that Wendy girl?"_

"No, no, no, you practice," Stan replied, "The more girls you talk to, the better you get at it."

 _What, I'm not a girl? So much for resting my mind._

Since she was looking up at the ceiling, Pacifica didn't notice Dipper turning his head backwards, noticing she was laying down on the seat.

"Is she okay?" he asked Stan, "She's been like that for a while now."

"She'll be fine, kid."

* * *

No she wasn't. She stayed in the R.V during the remaining stops of the day. Which worked out fine for Stan, it meant he wouldn't have to keep an eye on her knowing she was back on board the R.V. Oddly enough, though, every time Dipper came back, he had a new e-mail address written on his arm. Who were these people just randomly giving him their e-mail?

"What's with the e-mails on your arm?" Pacifica asked him.

"Only the results of the best girl advice a grunkle could give," Dipper replied confidently.

"...so those _are_ girls' emails," Pacifica said.

"Y-yeah," Dipper replied, suddenly uncomfortable, "Hey, you alright? You've been kinda zoned out since Upside-Down Town."

"I'm a little better," Pacifica said, "Just thirsty."

"Well, Grunkle Stan says we're almost at the R.V camp," Dipper said, "We can probably grab something while we're there."

"That would be great," Pacifica replied.

"So was that a date you dudes just made, or what?"

Dipper and Pacifica jumped back when they saw Soos sitting across from them, watching their conversation like a soap opera.

"Uh, Soos?" asked Dipper, "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Funny story," Soos explained, "I had almost gotten lost in the cornfield from our last stop...probably would have if it weren't for that ice cream truck that drove by just before we left, might have been able to chase it down..."

Soos was interrupted once Pacifica realized what Soos had previously been implying.

"Hey, wait, what did you mean by _dating_?"

"A guy and a girl having dinner together? Sounds like a date to me, dudes," Soos replied nonchalantly.

"Whoa, whoa!" Dipper exclaimed, "We're not dating, it's just grabbing a bite with a friend!"

"Y-Yeah!" Pacifica stammered, hiding her blushing cheeks behind her hands, "Nothing romantic about that."

Pacifica and Dipper looked away from each other, both trying to forget the awkward moment. Soos, despite his simple existence and lack of common sense, noticed this quite easily.

 _They clearly like each other, but neither of them are willing to admit it! But Dipper's had my back before, so it's up to me to help him realize what his heart truly wants! Great idea, Soos! Thanks, Soos!_

Pacifica didn't say much when everyone was getting off the R.V. While she didn't physically see Stan giving her the stink-eye as she walked by him, she could definitely feel it. Stan and Soos got the R.V set up while the kids headed towards the quaint diner just across the street from the R.V camp. It felt a lot like Greasy's Diner, but less rustic and more retro, like something straight out of the 50s. Since it was one of those 'seat yourself' joints, Mabel, Candy, and Grenda got themselves seated at the bar while Dipper went by himself to an empty booth. Pacifica thought it would be more natural for her to sit with the other girls, but...

"Well..." Pacifica pondered.

While she had been getting along better with Mabel, she wasn't exactly in the mood for Mabel's generic silliness or hopelessly optimistic outlook. Plus, she was pretty sure Candy and Grenda still didn't like her. So after seeing the trio get a quick order of chili fries and slurpees, Pacifica decided to sit with Dipper instead. During the time she contemplated which twin to sit with, a waitress had already made her way to Dipper.

"Just a strawberry milkshake," Dipper said, then noticing Pacifica walking towards him, he added, "Actually, make that two."

The waitress finished writing down the order and walked to the back just as Pacifica sat down across from him.

"How'd you know strawberry was my favorite?" Pacifica asked, crossing her legs.

"I didn't, actually," Dipper replied, "This is my first time hearing that."

"Mm-hmm," Pacifica playfully smirked, "Like you haven't been reading my tumblr...DD&Dgeek618."

"Man, of all your thousand-plus followers, you picked me out from _that_?" Dipper groaned.

"How many other mystery geeks do you think would follow my blog?" asked Pacifica, "Most of my topics are just about clothes or jewelry...Mabel begs me to post more personal stuff, but there's...not much about my home life to brag about."

The following awkward silence provided just enough time for their strawberry milkshakes to arrive. Dipper started sipping out the straw from his when the most seemingly random question popped out from Pacifica's mouth.

"Your uncle hates me, doesn't he?"

"Grunkle Stan? Nah, he's cool with all sorts of people, even if he's a little rough," Dipper replied.

"He never yells at any of _you_ ," Pacifica said.

"He yelled at Soos for almost forgetting the spray paint," Dipper said in reply.

"He wouldn't leave Soos for dead over it," Pacifica said, before muttering "...like he would to me."

She thought she had said it quietly enough that Dipper wouldn't hear, but he did. He did a double take at Pacifica's morbid assumption.

"Where would you get an idea like that?" Dipper asked incredulously, "Just because he's grumpy and old doesn't mean he would..."

"He wanted to hit me at the mini-golf course!" Pacifica said, "And you wanted him to!"

He remembered that. At the time, he really wanted to hit her himself, despite the fact that she was a girl, even though he settled for reminding her about her family's false history. But then he remembered everything else...

"In all fairness," Dipper said, "He wasn't there for everything after that. He might have driven you home afterwards, but he didn't know about the Lilliputtians who tried to kill you over Mabel's sticker. And he wasn't even there at all for all the stuff that happened the night of the party. He hasn't seen the real you, or at least the person you're trying to be, the way me and Mabel have."

"I didn't like being that mean, you know," Pacifica said, "I just had appearances to keep up."

Pacifica finally decided to take a drink from her milkshake. But unlike Dipper, who drank through the straw, Pacifica brought the rim of the glass to her lips, unwittingly leaving a red milk moustache above her upper lip. She didn't feel it as she brought the glass down to the table, but Dipper sure did, and didn't hold back his laughter.

"What's so funny?" asked Pacifica.

"Got milk?" asked Dipper.

It took a while for her to get the joke, but she did faintly remember those commercials. Running her finger over her lips, she found milk dripping from it, and finally caught on to what was so funny. And to her own surprise, she laughed too, almost as hard as Dipper.

"See?" asked Dipper, whose laughter finally died down, "The old Pacifica would have been embarassed and throw an insult at anyone that laughed at her. You keep this up, Grunkle Stan will have to start warming up to you!"

"You really think so?" asked Pacifica.

"I know so," replied Dipper.

Pacifica used her straw this time to avoid unnecessary laughter, no matter how good it felt to genuinely laugh. Like when they trashed her parents' favorite carpet and she didn't care.

"There's...one other thing the old me wouldn't do," Pacifica said, "She wouldn't be caught dead on a road trip with you. Yet here we are."

Pacifica started to feel herself melting inside when Dipper gave her that smile of his. It only lasted for a second though before they both caught on.

"W-Well not _just_ you," Pacifica said, "Mabel and the others, too."

"Oh y-yeah, I know!" Dipper coughed, "Wasn't, uh, thinking anything like that. Of course not."

For once, Mabel had been so invested in her chili fries that she didn't realize the potential matchup forming right behind her. But Candy did. She kept quiet, but she recognized there was a bond growing further between the two.

If she didn't want to lose, she would have to tell someone.

* * *

 **PLLP FP QBXJ AFMZFCFZX. JXYBI FP QBXJ ZXKAFM. MOBMXOB CLO ZLKCIFZQP LC FKQBOBPQ.**

 **P.S, for those of you who didn't catch it, YES, I threw the famous 618 in Dipper's username.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Obviously not the longest chapter, but I definitely wanted to get part of it out before the finale (WHOOT!)**

* * *

It was chilly out that night, but neither the boys nor the girls were cold. The boys were in the R.V camp's hot tub, and the girls were sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows. Which was a completely new experience for Pacifica. As soon as Mabel had handed her a stick with a marshmallow already on, Pacifica had plucked the marshmallow off and ate it.

"That's not how you roast marshmallows, you silly goose!" Mabel said.

"You roast them?" Pacifica asked.

"Why do you think we stick them in the fire?"

Pacifica had taken that quite literally, as she had extended her stick so that the marshmallow was directly in the center of the fire, burning it within seconds.

"This is gonna take a while," Mabel said.

Soos had been listening to the back and forth conversation between Stan and Dipper in the hot tub.

"Grunkle Stan, I gotta say, this was one of the best days ever! Look!" Dipper exclaimed, showing him the numbers written on his arm.

"That's the Stan Pines method, kid," Grunkle Stan said, "Works every time."

"I'm just a little worried, though. I mean, is it bad to flirt with this many girls at once? I'm just trying to get over Wendy. I don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings."

"Please, that's the best part of road tripping!" Stan exclaimed, "You're not gonna see any of these gals again!"

As Dipper and Stan toasted to moving on, Soos looked back and forth between them, wondering how to change the subject in the direction that would guide Dipper towards Pacifica. He said the first thing that came to his mind.

"So how about that Pacifica?" asked Soos.

Both turned to him with confused expressions.

"Soos, you been drinkin' something in the water?" asked Stan.

"It's complicated," replied Soos, "But sooooooo what about Pacifica?"

"Um...what about her, Soos?" asked Dipper.

"Well, just that you two seem to be getting along pretty well, and since you're hitting it up with the girls lately..."

"Wha...no, no," Dipper blushed, "We're just friends! I don't see her like that!"

" _Friends_ is too generous," Stan remarked, "No Pines should ever have to stoop as low as a Northwest."

"That's a little harsh," Dipper said, "She's really not that bad. But we're still not an item or anything."

Soos mentally groaned to himself.

 _This is gonna be harder than I thought._

* * *

"Truth or dare or don't!"

"I choose...don't," Candy answered, receiving annoyed groans from Mabel and Grenda.

"You always choose don't!" Grenda whined.

Pacifica hadn't entirely grasped the smores thing, but at least she was able to roast her own marshmallows. She had been chewing on two of them as Candy conceded into answering with 'truth'.

"Do you... _like_ someone?" Mabel asked.

Pacifica knew Mabel would always have that boy crush subject ready for any game. She ignored it and roasted another marshmallow...until Candy gave an unexpected answer.

"It starts with a 'D'...and ends in an 'ipper'."'

Pacifica broke her stick when she heard that. She looked up at Candy blushing as both Mabel and herself, for different reasons, looked at her in surprise.

"No!" they both exclaimed.

"Yes!" Candy replied.

Pacifica had to plug her ears when Mabel and Grenda squealed like schoolgirls. She also could have sworn she heard Stan shouting at 'those frigging coyotes'.

"Candy! Candy! All my life dreams are coming true right now! My brother! My best friend!"

"I can't breathe! I'm so excited I can't breathe!"

"I never really noticed him before," Candy said, "but he seems different lately. Less sweaty and more charming. But how do I approach him?"

Pacifica desperately wanted to interject and discourage her. She didn't know why, but she wanted to. But that would put her back at odds with Mabel, who was clearly aboard the Candip bandwagon, and it would probably increase the subtle hostility she knew was coming from Candy and Grenda. She just sat as Mabel encouraged her friend.

"Don't even worry about that, Can-Can, Mabel's got a plan," Mabel said, before stuffing marshmallows into her mouth and repeating, "Mabel's got a plan."

Pacifica's fist clenched, breaking yet another marshmallow stick. Here she thought she had finally pushed past her differences with Mabel. But she just got so irked by Mabel's excessive eagerness to pair Dipper up with Candy. She must not have hidden it on her face very well because Mabel soon turned her head and looked at her inquisitively.

"What's eating you, Paz?" asked Mabel, "Too many smores?"

"No Mabel," Pacifica replied bitterly, "I'm just...never mind, I'm going back to the R.V."

"Aw, c'mon! Don't be like that!" Mabel pouted.

"Mabel, I'm TIRED," Pacifica stressed, "And I'm STILL not feeling good from that Upside-Down town."

Not entirely true. She was able to stomach a strawberry milkshake with Dipper.

"So thanks, but no thanks," she said, "Good NIGHT."

She stressed the last word as she stormed off back to the R.V.

"Why she ackin' so cray-cray?" asked Mabel.

"Forget her, Mabel," Grenda said, "We've had fun before her, we can have fun without her!"

"Yeah," Candy said, "Besides, you haven't told us your plan yet."

Mabel shared her plan with Candy and Grenda, while still worried about Pacifica in the back of her mind.

She wasn't the only one. Soos had been laughing with Dipper and Stan about everything from toilet humor to poorly-done imitations. And while Dipper and Stan had continued their laughter, Soos noticed Pacifica pouting to herself as she walked back to the R.V. Until she glanced over at Dipper. Then she just looked sad, as if she were about to lose him. Soos, for all his childlike qualities, had a sneaky suspicion that she might.

Soos twisted his cap to the side of his head (why he was wearing it in the hot tub, no one will ever know) and further his resolve. It was time to make his move.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

Dipper's whole body broke out into a cold sweat during the middle of the night. It wasn't even 2 am and he was already startled awake. With the imminent threat of Bill's arrival to the mortal realm, Dipper has had rough nights. He almost envied his sister for constantly being carefree. She probably never had nightmares. At least not ones that were remotely possible of coming true. Her worst nightmare was probably a world without sugar.

His thoughts were interrupted when he realized there was a hand draped across his face. Judging by the dark purple nail polish, it had to have been Pacifica. He didn't remember her being that close to him when he first went to sleep. He certainly would have remembered if Pacifica deliberately cupped his face. Which she probably didn't. But she may have chipped his skin with her nails. He still had to wonder why she was so fussy about maintaining her appearance to the point of obsession. Granted, it was only the first night, so her nails wouldn't be chipped and her probably-fake blonde hair would stay in place, but Wendy wouldn't be so picky about...

 _Stop it!_ Dipper berated himself, _Stop thinking about Wendy! You're doing this stupid road trip to move on from her!_

Dipper gently took Pacifica's hand and brushed it off of him. It was the only way he got any sleep that night.

* * *

"Today, the mountain falls," Stan said.

Back on the road, everyone had just learned from Stan the existence of Mystery Mountain, which apparently had actual attractions. Sitting in the back, the kids and Soos stared out the window in awe as they could see Mystery Mountain in the distance. With just enough time for Mabel to execute her plan.

"Question!" she exclaimed, "The back seat makes me car sick. Can I sit up front today?"

"Also question," Grenda said, "I'm the size of two people! Can I have a whole seat to myself?"

"Eh, I dunno, sure," Stan replied without really paying attention.

Grenda and Mabel giggles as they jumped up to the front of the RV, with Candy blushing from behind the brochure she was reading. Soos actually noticed this and saw Dipper sitting just a bit further back. Pacifica had only recently woken up, and was refreshing herself in the bathroom as best she could with limited resources. She had to have a seat with Dipper when she finished.

"Another also question," Soos said, "I, uh, have problems with my tablet that only bespectacled Asian girls in the sixth grade can fix, can I borrow Candy?"

"Soos," Mabel said, "You don't have a..."

"Eh, sure, knock yourself out," Stan replied.

"Yoink!" Soos exclaimed, picking Candy up with one hand and sitting with the other girls.

"Wait, why is everyone so..." Dipper started to wonder.

The sink that had been running in the bathroom had just turned off. Pacifica had finally emerged from the tiny restroom, having changed into the same clothes she had worn yesterday. Though she didn't verbally complain, her face said it all.

"You look mortified," Dipper told her.

"I've never worn the same thing twice in a row," Pacifica said, sitting down next to him.

"Don't you wear that same outfit pretty much every day?" asked Dipper.

Easy mistake to make. She was indeed wearing her usual purple attire, minus the uggs, which she switched out for what appeared to be a pair of Mabel's "cowboy boots". No one was quite sure how Mabel persuaded her to wear them, but Pacifica wouldn't talk about it.

"Not literally the same thing," Pacifica replied, "I just have multiple outfits exactly like this. Besides, isn't that the same shirt and vest you always have on?"

"Well..."

"And Soos has that question mark on his shirt..."

"Except the one he cut up to make his W-neck."

"I miss that W-neck," Pacifica said, "And Mabel...actually, on second thought, she's the only one that doesn't wear the same outfit everyday. I'll give her credit for that."

"Yeah, she loves wearing sweatshirts no matter what time of year," Dipper said.

"Where did she even buy all of them?" asked Pacifica.

"She didn't," Dipper said.

"Whaaa-did Mabel actually ste..."

"Never happened, never will," Dipper cut her off, "Actually if you're that curious, she made them herself."

Pacifica stared completely wide-eyed at Dipper. Miniature golfball people and bloodthirsty ghosts didn't surprise her that much, but Mabel making all of her sweatshirts by hand?

"How can she even afford all that yarn?" asked Pacifica.

"Hey, we may not have Northwest money, but we're not poor," Dipper replied, "Our dad makes decent money as a software engineer."

"You have a dad?" asked Pacifica, jaw dropping, "...sorry, I didn't mean it like that, it's just I've really only seen you two living with your uncle."

"Nope, we have a dad," Dipper said calmly, "And before you ask, yes, we have a mom, too. They're both back home in Piedmont."

"B-Back home?" Pacifica asked, suddenly feeling her stomach sink, "You don't live in Gravity Falls?"

"Nope, we're visiting for the summer," Dipper replied, "After that, the day after our birthday actually, we go back home."

"...oh," Pacifica said without any emotion, "But...I was just getting to like you."

Dipper's head shot up and he was all ears.

"...you guys!" Pacifica stammered, taking a metaphorical step backwards, "I like you guys! You and Mabel, and Soos...even your uncle a little bit, even if he still hates me."

"He'll get over it," Dipper said.

 _I hope_ , he thought.

Soos was ready to burst out of his skin. He watched Dipper and Pacifica bonding again, hopefully planting seeds for a romantic relationship.

"Whatcha doin' Soos?" asked Mabel, sitting across from him but not looking in the same direction.

"Oh hey Mabel," Soos replied, "I''m just excited Dipper is finally realizing what he wants!"

"Are we talking...girls?" asked Mabel with a giant grin.

"Exactly!" Soos exclaimed gleefully, "Why flirt with all these girls you only met once when you've got something great right in front of you!"

"I know exactly what you mean, Soos," Mabel replied, "It's like, 'Dippingsauce, you don't need a pen pal girl. You've got Candy right here!"

"Yeah! Wait, what?" Soos did a double take.

"She is seriously crushing on him, and I have...had a plan to get them together, but that's what Plan B's are for!"

"Uh...how long has Candy been crushing on him?"

"Since yesterday apparently," replied Mabel, "But I've always wanted my bro-bro to date one of my friends, and now it's actually gonna happen!"

"I dunno, Mabel," Soos said, "It's only been one day. Maybe Dipper should have someone he's known a bit longer?"

"You only knew Melody once before asking her on a date!"

"Well, true, but..."

"NOBUTSINEEDTOWORKONPLANB!" Mabel shouted running off towards her two best friends.

Soos slumped down in his chair. Looked as though Mabel really wasn't on the same wavelength as him after all.

"Meh," he said, "I'm probably worried over nothing."

An ominous chill raised his neck hairs as Stan parked the RV in front of Mystery Mountain.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

**From here on out, I will post the decoded messages from the previous chapter at the beginning of the next chapter. The previous ones are as follows;**

 **"Darlene is only a minor threat this time. The real threat comes in the form of a fountain." "Soos is Team Dipcifica. Mabel is Team Candip. Prepare for conflicts of interest." "Coyotes are a lot worse than Stan remembers." "No one makes it out of the fountain unscarred."**

* * *

Though there were a considerable number of tourists, none stood out like the group occupying Stan's RV. Mainly the fact that none of them were in groups, just riding solo. In no particular order, the revenge trip crew disassembled outside the RV.

Soos, having felt he did his part to help Dipper find true love, quickly became distracted by a simple gopher slowly crossing the trail. Mabel, on the other hand, was on the prowl. Well, technically Candy was, she was the one crushing on Dipper. Mabel was just nudging things in the right direction. And since one of her other goals was to help unburn some bridges between her friends and Pacifica...

"Grenda! Pacifica! Why not take a merry ol' stroll down the first trail I see?" Mabel asked, wrapping her arms over both girls' shoulders.

Mabel immediately turned and winked at Grenda, slightly nudging her head in Candy's direction. In whatever telepathic girl code existed between the trio, Grenda immediately understood what Mabel was up to.

"Great idea, Mabel!" Grenda exclaimed, "Time for some girl bonding for inconspicuous reasons!"

"Wait, Mabel, I don't that's such a..."

"TOOLATEPACIFICAGIRLPOWER!" Mabel screamed.

Mabel and Grenda ran onto the trail with Pacifica being dragged along. Had Mabel thought her plan through entirely, she would have had a way to keep Soos and Stan from meddling. But fortunately that seemed to be taken care of; Soos was still watching the gopher, and Stan was hitting on the perky blonde in charge of Mystery Mountain. Which meant now it was Dipper and...

"Candy Chiu," Candy said, "Sixth grade."

Candy stood awkwardly behind Dipper, startling him as he jumped back.

"...you're standing awfully close," Dipper said.

As would be expected, the two stood in awkward silence as other tourists passed by them. Ironically, despite being more shy, it was Candy who broke the silence.

"So Dipper," Candy said blushing, "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to tour the mountain."

"Well sure," Dipper replied, "I mean, that was the plan anyway."

"No, I mean us," Candy replied, staring into him with a soul-piercing gaze, "You and me. Candy and Dipper."

Dipper dropped his jaw at her bluntness. No, more than that, he was shocked Candy had any romantic interest in him...or that any girl would for that matter. When all that came out from his mouth was a long "Um", Candy broke out a love-struck grin.

"Then off we go!" Candy exclaimed, grabbing Dipper's hand.

Dipper nearly tripped as he tried keeping up with Candy, running eagerly past the sign pointing towards the Fountain of Fear and up the trail towards Mystery Mountain.

* * *

Though not far from the mountain, Mabel's trail took the girls out of sight from the parking lot. Pacifica seemed to be the only one nervous about that, noting how much darker the trail became the further they went down...literally, as it started going inward towards the mountain.

"Seriously, I think we walked far enough," Pacifica whined.

"Aw, c'mon, Paz, where's your sense of adventure?" Mabel asked her cheekily.

"Do NOT call me Paz," Pacifica sternly replied.

"Why you ackin' so cray cray?" Mabel asked.

"I'm not ackin' cray cray! You're ackin' cray cray!" Pacifica exclaimed.

The bickering stopped when they heard a deep manly gasp coming from Grenda.

"Girls! Come quick! There's a fork in the road!"

Mabel and Pacifica ran up to Grenda, who was holding up a plastic utensil in her stubby hands.

"I found this disposable fork in the ground just now," Grenda said, "Also, it was also right in front of this fork in the road."

This time, she was referring to two separate paths that stood before them.

"This one on the right takes us back to Mystery Mountain," Grenda said, looking at the signs, "And this dark tunnel in front will take us to the Fountain of Fear!"

"I read about that in one of Candy's brochures!" Mabel exclaimed, "It says that stepping in it forces you to face your darkest fears, and that the water is actually the tears of the fabled Gremloblin!"

"The what?" Pacifica asked.

"Gremloblin! You never heard?" asked Mabel, "It tore up the shack the week Grunkle Stan...oh right, you weren't there."

"I vote for the Fountain of Fear!" Grenda said, "I wanna face Death in the face and PUNCH IT!"

"Your biggest fear is death?" asked Pacifica.

"Actually it's giant man-eating spiders," Grenda said, "But I'm willing to face it if it means keeping us away from..."

Mabel quickly covered Grenda's mouth, just narrowly avoiding her spilling the beans about their plan to hook Candy up with Dipper. Unfortunately, while Pacifica was unaware of their real plan, she still realized something was going on. Pacifica wasn't stupid. She knew a scheme cooked up by boy crazy preteen girls if she...

Boy crazy...kinda like they all were with Sev'ral Timez. That gave her an idea..

"Oh my gosh! Is that Sev'ral Timez wayyyy over there?" Pacifica asked, pointing towards the woodsy landscape.

"Where? Where?" Mabel and Grenda asked simultaneously.

As both girls looked in that general direction, Pacifica pulled a classic switcheroo on the signs, now pointing to the opposite of where they lead.

"Must have been a trick of the mind," Pacifica said.

"Happens all the time," Mabel said, "But yeah, I vote for the Fountain of Fear too!"

Pacifica, smirking knowingly, added, "Guess I'll make it unanimous."

Mabel and Grenda cheered as they headed down the path they thought was towards the Fountain. Pacifica followed behind them, knowing full well they were heading back to Mystery Mountain. Whatever these two were hiding, Pacifica would find out.

* * *

"Man, these attractions are unreal!" Stan said, attempting to woo Darlene.

"I _love_ a man with good taste," Darlene said in faux admiration.

"I love me too," Stan said, "Wasn't too impressed with that warning sign about giant man-eating spiders, though."

"I bet you could take one on," Darlene said with a phony smile.

"Heh heh, yeah, I could probably knock a few in the kisser," Stan boasted, "Especially if they tried messing with a pretty lady."

"Awww, that's sweet," Darlene said, "You might even be man enough to go to the Fountain!"

"You sure bet I...wait, what? What's the Fountain?" asked Stan.

"There's a legend behind it that there's a supernatural property in the water that forces tourist to face their worst nightmares," Darlene said, "But surely a big, strong man like you has no fears!"

"You're darn tootin'!" Stan exclaimed.

Darlene put her head on his shoulder as they continued up the trek towards Widow's Peak. What she probably didn't see was the uncertainty on Stan's face, clearly second-guessing whether or not he had any fears.

* * *

"This mountain is full of mysteries," said Candy, who was sitting next to Dipper on a bench inside the mountain, "Like, why is my head falling on your shoulder?"

As soon as she said it, Candy deliberately placed her head on Dipper's shoulder, the latter of whom was sweating nervously.

"Uh, yep! This is what I want! This is all part of the plan and stuff," Dipper told himself.

"Oh, Dipper! Hey!"

Dipper looked up, as did Candy, when another girl came out from seemingly nowhere, sitting right down next to him. She was not an unfamiliar face.

"Corn Maze Girl!"

"I was wondering when you'd call!"

"Dipper, who is this?" Candy asked.

"Nobody! I mean, somebody, but..."

"Dipper!" came the voice of another girl...Emma Sue, if Dipper remembered correctly, "I didn't recognize you right-side up. You'll never guess where my mom gave birth...hey, who are these girls?"

"Dipper?" came another voice.

 _Oh come on!_ Dipper screamed internally.

"Why haven't you called?" said the girl that came next, "Did your romantic log ride mean nothing to you?"

"Dipper, what is going on?" Candy asked, "Were you flirting with _all_ of these girls?"

"Of course not!" Dipper exclaimed, trying to defend himself, "I was just..."

"Dipper!" came a fourth voice.

"NOW WHAT?" Dipper screamed, turning to the new voice.

Only it wasn't so new. It was someone Dipper would know a mile away...his own sister. She and Grenda were standing there appalled by what they were seeing. All the effort they made trying to get Candy and Dipper together, and before their eyes, they're seeing other girls that Dipper apparently flirted with.

"You flirted with all these girls behind Candy's back!" Grenda exclaimed, "Shame on you!"

"It's not like that!" Dipper exclaimed, "It's not even..."

"I can't believe you, Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, "We put all this effort to push you towards Candy! We tried getting you two alone and everything! It's even the perfect romantic setting! And you two-time her!"

"I didn't even..." Dipper started to explain.

"You what?" came a fifth voice.

This time, it wasn't just Dipper who was surprised by this. It was also Mabel and Grenda. From behind them, Pacifica stared at all of them completely dumbfounded. So this was why they were getting so chummy with her.

"All that talk about girl power...all the bonding you tricked me into thinking we did...you were distracting me?" Pacifica asked, "You were just trying to...?"

"No, Pacifica! It's not like that!" Mabel exclaimed.

Mabel's pleas were in vain. Pacifica already put the pieces together, even if they weren't part of the same puzzle. Dipper was here with other girls, one of whom was Mabel's best friend. Of course they would pair up. They got along better. She was one of Mabel's 'approved potential girlfriends for Dipper'. But not her. Apparently it was never her.

 _Of course. Why would he ever like me?_

"You...you..."

Both twins got ready for the verbal abuse Pacifica had been known for the whole summer, fully knowing they had each done something to deserve it. But to their surprise, it never came. Rather than scream and shout, Pacifica's head bowed down in defeat, and her hands clenched into fists. And then she started trembling.

And though her bangs covered most of her face then, they both saw what came from her eyes and down her cheeks as her lips quivered.

"I shouldn't...I should _never_ have trusted you..."

Before either twin could explain themselves, Pacifica ran back the way she came, covering her face with her arm in a failed attempt at not letting others see her cry.

"Pacifica! Wait!" Dipper cried out.

Mabel, Candy, and Grenda followed behind him chasing after Pacifica. But despite her short legs, Pacifica could run. She knew how to run right to the tunnel she had tried avoiding going in before.

She was about to stumble upon the Fountain.

* * *

 **PQXK ALBP PLJBQEFKD AXOH QL PXSB QEB HFAP. YRZHIB RM.**


	7. Chapter 7

**"Stan does something dark to save the kids. Buckle up."**

* * *

Pacifica ran as far into the tunnel as her tiny little legs could take her. Though still upset with the twins, she was done crying. Especially now that she had no idea where she was.

"What is this place?" she asked aloud.

All she knew was that it was dark and that the only light was coming from a small glow around the corner. She also knew the ground was wet, because she felt her boots sink heavily into the mud. Good thing she borrowed them from Mabel.

"I guess it's a good thing Mabel doesn't care about her shoes being ruined," Pacifica said.

The further along the tunnel she went, the more Pacifica could hear running water. Feeling parched from her long and desperate run, she followed the tunnel deeper until she was nearly blinded by a bright light. When her eyes adjusted, she saw a round fountain made entirely of marble, but with running water that overflowed from the fountain and into the surrounding ground. Nothing sounded sweeter to her ears than running water.

"Guess that explains the mud," she said.

Walking up to the fountain, Pacifica cupped her hands underneath and drew water out, which she drank immediately. For an old fountain still running inside a mountain, it was the most refreshing water she ever had. Not even the fancy fruit water at her mansion quenched her thirst like this.

Pacifica became so focused on drinking the water that she didn't hear tiny footsteps coming from behind.

"Hey Pacifica."

Pacifica nearly jumped when she heard Dipper's voice from behind. She didn't even know she had been here long enough for Dipper to catch up.

"...why did you come after me?" she asked.

"Look, Pacifica, I'm sorry," he said, "I'm not romantically interested in those girls."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Pacifica.

"Positive," Dipper said smiling, "The truth is, I could only think about one person. There's only ever been one I truly loved."

Pacifica blushed when he looked at her, and she had to lower her eyes to not get too caught up in the boy's adorkable charm.

"Sup dude?"

Pacifica didn't recognize this voice. But she heard the footsteps coming from behind. She turned and saw a much taller girl walking towards Dipper. A tall, red-haired girl with freckles wearing a brown trapper hat. Just like the girl from those photos in Dipper's private collection.

 _Wait_ , she thought, _That_ is _her! What is she..._

"Oh hi Wendy!" Dipper said with a charismatic smile, "I was just talking about you."

"I know, babe," Wendy said, wrapping an arm around the smaller boy, "You can't stop talking about me, let alone thinking about me."

"Not my fault," Dipper said, hugging her back, "I just love you so much!"

"Wait, what? Why is she here? _How_ is she here?" asked Pacifica.

"You didn't know?" asked Wendy mockingly, "Dipper and I are an item. Always have been, always will be."

"But it's cute the way Pacifica thinks _I_ would like _her_ ," Dipper said.

"Hah! Fat chance!" Wendy exclaimed haughtily, "There was never any room for her! Not for a guy who's too good for her!"

"Hey!" Pacifica shouted, starting to choke up all over again.

"Admit it, blondie," Wendy said, staring down at the smaller girl, "No matter how much you throw yourself at him, Dipper will never see you as anything more than a spoiled princess! Why would you ever think someone as selfless and considerate as Dipper would ever waste time on a walking one-dimensional bleach blonde valley girl stereotype like you?"

Pacifica remembered exactly where she heard that before. Back when Mabel challenged her to a rematch in mini golf. When she said it then, it was the first time Pacifica was truly _angry_ at her. Not annoyed like usual. Angry.

No, not angry. Afraid. Afraid Mabel might be right.

"We _could_ have solved that problem a long time ago, Wendy," Dipper said, " _I_ wanted to leave her for dead when the Lilliputtians kidnapped her, but Mabel just _had_ to be the good twin and save her."

"Because you're the _smart_ twin, baby," Wendy said, "C'mon, let's go make out again. Leave the little girl in her own world."

Pacifica had tears coming down her face again, but this time it wasn't out of heartbreak. It was out of rage. She picked up the nearest rock and threw it at the freckled girl's head, only for it to go right through her, making both Wendy and Dipper fade out. As if they were never there.

"Was that...was that even real?" Pacifica asked herself.

After calming down and catching her breath, Pacifica recomposed herself in a more dignified matter.

"Of course it was fake!" Pacifica reassured herself, "Mabel said it herself! Dipper's over her...right?"

Pacifica began to walk out in the tunnel she came in through, or at least the one she thought she came in through. It was hard to tell when an ancient fountain was the only source of light in the cavern.

And that's when she heard it. That awful sound echoing throughout the mountain. The ringing of a bell. Her body stiffened and her mind went into overhaul. The last time her father used it on her was at the mansion party when she finally stood up to him and her mother. Between that, Dipper's guidance, and the public eye on the Northwests now more than usual, Pacifica stopped being afraid of her parents.

But she never stopped being afraid of the bell. Or what it reminded her of.

Accompanied by the bell was the sound of haughty laughter. And that sound was soon joined by multiple images of Pacifica laughing at others. She couldn't see who her former selves were laughing at, but she saw what she herself looked like. And she hated it. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she went to slap the queen bees that surrounded her. But they too were mirages, just like Wendy and Dipper.

But it wasn't over yet. She heard Mabel's voice echoing with the bell now. And she kept saying the same thing, getting louder every time.

"WALKING ONE DIMENSIONAL BLEACH BLONDE VALLEY GIRL STEREOTYPE!"

Pacifica covered her ears and rolled up into a ball, blocking every sound and every picture that entered her mind. And yet they wouldn't go away. Her entire body went numb. It became too much for her, so much so, she did the only thing she could instinctively do.

She screamed.

And when she was done, she felt a pair of hands shaking her. Opening her eyes, she saw Dipper trying to shake her back into reality, with Mabel, Candy, and Grenda standing behind him, looking rather disturbed by Pacifica's meltdown.

"Pacifica!" Dipper shouted.

"Are you...are you real?"

"Am I...yes! Of course I'm real! Why wouldn't I be?" asked Dipper.

"How do I know that this isn't just another trick?" asked Pacifica, "That you won't just walk away from me? Leave me for that stupid redhead you won't shut up about!"

"...what?" Dipper asked, "Pacifica, where is this..."

Dipper was cut off by blood-curling screams that echoed throughout the caverns. Mabel and her friends started to panic, and Dipper, while less afraid than the others in the face of the supernatural, instantly stiffened his stance. This was how Pacifica knew that this was the real Dipper. The screams were far too real to be a trick of the mind. Whatever it was, it was real.

And it was heading in their direction.

* * *

 **MXZFCFZX FP KLQ QEB LKIV LKB CXZFKD EBO CBXOP.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Pacifica is not the only one facing her fears.**

 **Also, either next chapter or the one after that will be the final chapter. I'm just glad I was able to get this one finished in time for Christmas.**

* * *

The kids started running through the tunnels as the screams got louder and shriller. The hairs on the back of their necks kept going up every time the screams echoed. And they weren't going away.

"What are those things?" Dipper asked.

He was watching as shadows were formed along the cave walls. Whatever they were, they weren't human. In fact, they looked a lot like...

"Get down!"

Someone much larger than them had tackled them all to the ground. That same person covered all five kids as the strange creatures passed by, their screams slowly fading out.

"Grunkle Stan!" Dipper and Mabel exclaimed, hugging their grunkle.

"You kids alright?" he asked.

Pacifica had never been so relieved to see the old cheapskate.

"I think we're good," Dipper replied, "What were those things?"

"Yeah, those stories about half-spider half-human ladies we used to joke about? Turns out they're true," Grunkle Stan replies, "Also, I was hitting on one of them."

"Ewwww," the kids replied.

"So Darlene was a spider lady?" asked Dipper.

"Ugh, Grunkle Stan, really?" Mabel complained.

"Relax," Stan said, "She's history. Literally."

"What does that mean?" asked Pacifica.

"...there's more of them living in this freaky mountain," Stan replied, "And they're all after us. We need to be long gone before they find the body."

"T-The body?" asked Pacifica, "You mean Darlene's..."

Stan turned right around, glaring intensely at Pacifica. Something snapped inside him.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU LITTLE BRAT?!" Stan screamed loudly, "BACK HOME SAFE IN YOUR FANCY MANSION?"

"N-No, I wasn't..."

"THIS ISN'T A GAME!"

Stan marched off towards where the exit was supposed to be, leaving a stunned Pacifica behind.

"I didn't say it was..." Pacifica said softly.

"Don't worry about it, Pacifica," Dipper told her, "He's just...a little scared right now."

"Grunkle Stan? Scared?" Mabel asked, "Pssh, nah!"

"Mabel," Dipper said in a stage whisper, "Not a good time..."

"Hey, I didn't say he wasn't being a jerk!" Mabel exclaimed defensively, "Just that he's not scared. I mean, he _used_ to be scared of heights, but other than that, Grunkle Stan isn't afraid of anything!"

* * *

Stan heard running water from around the corner. Where there was water, there was life, and life meant not getting eaten by giant spider ladies wanting revenge for him killing one of their own. Also quenching thirst, that was a bonus for water, too. Stan soon found the source of the running water...a fountain. Crystal clear and not a trace of bacteria in the water.

"Oh, finally!" Stan said, "I could use a little water after that run-in with death incarnate."

Running up to the fountain, Stan cupped his hands together and, after bringing them down into the fountain, pulled out some water and drank it.

"Oh yeah," Stan moaned, "That hits the spot."

"Grunkle Stan?" asked a voice from behind.

Stan turned around to see the voice came from Dipper. Guess he was the only one who bothered following him this far. That Pacifica girl was probably still upset, and Mabel, being the innocent soul she is, was probably trying to comfort her.

"Hey kiddo," Stan said, "Look, I know I got a little wound up back there, but we're kind of in a life or death situation right now, so whatever lecture you're going to give me, or if you're looking for an apology...either way, it'll have to wait until we make it out of this mountain alive."

"I'm not asking for either," Dipper replied, "In fact, I don't really expect much from you."

"Uh...you sure you're okay? You sound like you're holding a grudge. And trust me, I know a thing or two about those."

"Of course you would," Dipper said, "Why do you think I stopped coming to you for advice? Why I've spent more time with Grunkle Ford than with you or Mabel?"

"Uh, weird nerdy interests?" asked Stan rhetorically, "I thought that was kind of obvious."

"Then you're not paying attention."

This voice wasn't coming from Dipper. From behind Stan, an older man roughly the same height and build as Stan started coming forward. And then he saw why he looked so similar. No, he wasn't looking at himself. He was looking at his twin brother.

"Ford?" asked Stan, "I thought you were back home working on whatever nerdy thing you two have been bonding over. Why are you _here_?"

"Stanley," Ford said menacingly, "I think the real question is, why are _you_ here?"

"We made a VERY wrong tour on my revenge trip," Stan said, "Funny how half-lady half-spider creatures can sour the mood."

"No, Stanley," Ford groaned, "Not here in the moment! I mean why are you here? Think big picture!"

"Is this...is this one those trick question things?"

"Fine, fine, I'll make it easier to understand," Ford replied, "Why do you exist?"

"I'm not a big proponent of existential questions, Ford," Stan replied.

"Oh for Pete''s sake!" groaned Ford, "I'm asking you why you were even born?"

"Well, Ford, when a man and a woman love each other very much, or in our case, when they've had a little too much..."

"NO! You're supposed to figure out how much better off everyone is without you in the picture!"

"Hey! I resent that insinuation!" Stan exclaimed.

Now a third figure popped up from thin air, this time much closer to Stan, only mere inches away from his face. Except this time, it wasn't someone he could simply ignore without a second thought. It was the very person who caused his circumstances to begin with. In that instant, Stan found himself staring into the eyes of Filbrick Pines.

"You resent anything that doesn't revolve around you," Filbrick told him, "Always have your whole life. It cost your brother his scholarship, and it nearly cost those kids their summer."

"What do you know, old man?" asked Stan, "You don't know the first thing about those kids, let alone me...y'know, since you kicked me out and let me live on the streets!"

"You're welcome," Filbrick said.

"You're welcome?!" Stan cried, "You don't even care about what happened to me after you left me for dead!"

"And you're still complaining," Filbrick said coldly.

Without saying a word, Stan went to punch his dad right in the kisser, only to feel his fist punching nothing but thin air. The mirage had disappeared, but Filbrick's voice still echoed throughout the chamber.

"Stanford was always the responsible one," Filbrick's voice echoed, "That's why, at the end of the day, those kids are going to stay with _him_."

Now Dipper and Ford were walking away, with their backs turned to Stan. Dipper disappeared, and Ford turned to Stan one last time.

"Look at it this way, Stanley," Ford said, "At least you have the Mystery Shack. I'll go ahead and keep the kids.

Ford did not simply fade away. He exploded into a bright flash, leaving behind a frightening vision of Dipper and Mabel screaming in fear, clutched in the hands of a ridiculously cartoonish but equally menacing yellow triangle, with Ford running away into the distance.

"You COWARD! Stan screamed.

Stan went to throw a punch to Ford, but instead hit the top-hat triangle. Only this time, it didn't go right through him. It hit him directly, sending him into tiny pieces and a chilling scream that Stan could swear he had heard before, or knew he would hear in the days to come.

"Uh, Grunkle Stan?"

Stan turned around and saw Dipper standing there...the real one, he could tell. He had the same dorky, confused look he always seemed to have.

"Dipper?" Stan asked.

"What exactly was that about?" asked Dipper, "One minute I ask about you, the next you're talking to yourself and swinging your fists at nothing!"

Trying not to give off a sign of what he perceived as a weak and vulnerable moment, Stan went right back to his gruff demeanor.

"Was that before or afterrace you interrupted my water break?"

"Probably after...wait, you drank the water?" asked Dipper.

"Hey, I was thirsty!" Stan exclaimed, "You try running from a tribe of human-spider ladies without breaking a sweat!"

Dipper looked into the the water as if he had already seen it. He hadn't, of course, but he was already a smart kid, who grew even smarter after adventuring with Ford.

"That must be why Pacifica was acting so weird!" Dipper exclaimed, "She must have drank from the fountain too! I can't believe we didn't even think about the Fountain of Fear!"

"The Fountain of what?" Stan asked, "Actually, never mind. I don't wanna know. Let's just get your sister and your friends and get out of here alive!"

Dipper started walking off before Stan put his hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"Listen, kiddo," Stan said, "When this is over, I'll apologize to your little girlfriend for the way I treated her...but _not_ for doing what I do to keep you kids safe."

Dipper smiled knowingly at his grunkle.

"I really appreciate...wait, what? She's not my girlfriend! JEEZ!"

Dipper walked off blushing and embarassed.

"Coulda had _me_ fooled," Stan said, "And trust me, that's saying a lot!"

* * *

 **QEB CLRKQXFK CLOBPEXALTBA YFII'P ABCBXQ**


	9. Chapter 9

**The fountain foreshadowed Bill's defeat**.

* * *

The girls all hid behind a large boulder, silently watching the shadows of the spider-people move past them. For all their bizarre and otherworldly misadventures in the past, Candy and Grenda were terrified of these strange, unseen creatures hunting them. Mabel was afraid as well, but the spider-people paled in comparison to the mind games Bill Cipher could pull. Pacifica was still recovering from the mental frights she experienced at the fountain, leaving her only slightly fearful of the spider-people.

"This mountain is gonna kill us," Pacifica said, "This was a bad idea."

"And whose fault is that?" asked Candy.

"Uh, _you_ guys?" Pacifica answered, "You were the ones who insisted on coming to this mountain!"

"To get you away from Dipper!"

"Get _me_ away from Dipper?" Pacifica hissed, "We were fine before you started meddling!"

"Hey, wait!" Mabel interjected, "Pacifica, that was my idea! I thought Candy and Dipper would make such a cute couple!"

"And what about _me_?" Pacifica asked, "Did you stop to think what I thought about that? How I would feel about having to lose Dipper to..."

"Wait, lose him?" Mabel said, "But you never..."

Even amidst the chaos of hiding from spider-people, Mabel grinned wider than the Cheshire Cat, finally putting two and two together.

"O.M.G!" Mabel squealed, "You _do_ like him! YoulikehimYoulikehimYoulikehim!"

"Mabel, keep it down!" the other girls said.

"I-It's not like that," Pacifica stuttered, "Forget what I said, I didn't..."

"Pacifica, why didn't you just say that from the start?" Mabel asked, getting into her excited fangirl mode, "I would have totally helped you hook up with him!"

"Wait...you would?" Pacifica asked.

"You would?" Candy and Grenda asked.

"Totally!" Mabel exclaimed.

"But...but you were so excited about Candy liking him..." Pacifica said.

"Mabel, you would do that?" asked Candy.

"Well, I mean, you both...you're both my friends, and you would both be great for him," Mabel replied, trying to explain herself, "And it's the 21st century, you could totally share him!"

"Are you kidding me, Mabel?" asked Pacifica incredulously, "Do you know ANYTHING about this stuff? You can't just SHARE someone! You have to pick one and keep your promise!"

All three of the other girls stared in shock at Pacifica's outburst.

"Oh...my...gosh..." Mabel muttered.

And then her emotionless face turned into her normal, excited tween girl self.

"YOU SAID ' _SHARING'_ RIGHT! YOU ACTUALLY SAID ' _SHARING'_ RIGHT!" she screamed.

"Mabel!" the other three hissed.

The damage was already done. The spider-people heard Mabel's outburst, and it didn't take long for them to home in on their location.

"Welp, I think we should run now," Grenda said.

"You think?" Pacifica asked rhetorically.

All four girls got out from their hiding place and once again ran away from the unseen monsters. Their adrenaline had been pumping as they ran through the nearly pitch dark tunnels in their escape. But of all the loose twigs in all the tunnels at the worst of possible times, Pacifica found herself tripping over that one. She landed face first into the dirt, messing up her hair and leaving marks on her face. But for once, Pacifica didn't care.

Until she realized her foot was caught in the twig, and she couldn't get it out.

* * *

The minute they heard the screams, both from the girls and the spider-people, Dipper and Stan wasted no time dashing towards the sounds. They were closing in on the source of the screams.

"They came from this way!" Dipper cried.

"I'm old, not deaf!" Stan retorted, "I wouldn't not hear sounds like that!"

* * *

"Help!" Pacifica screamed.

The three girls immediately turned around when they heard Pacifica's cries for help. Though only Mabel considered her a friend, Grenda and Candy still knew it was right to help out. Too bad they got a good look at the spider-people that had just made it around the corner. The lower halves, the more spider halves, were pretty much what they knew of spiders, only bigger. The top half, however, the _human_ half, was beyond hideous. There was the torso of a human body, but old, wrinkly, and grey, as well as cracking skin along the veins, and big black eyes like a spider.

"Aaah!" Grenda and Candy screamed, suddenly freezing in their steps.

Mabel kept trying to pull out Pacifica from where she was stuck. When that didn't work, she tried tugging on the twig itself. It may have worked if they had a little more time. But the spider-lady was now standing directly above them, breathing frantically, foam oozing from its mouth. It didn't speak a word, but they knew it was more than just angry...it was hungry, and two little girls looked like easy, delicious prey. Raising one of its legs, it prepared to strike them down.

"PACIFICA!"

Both girls knew that voice anywhere. Dipper was the only one whose voice still cracked. Blame it on puberty. The last thing they saw before they shut their eyes, preparing for the worst, was his silhouette jumping in front of them, acting as a human shield...

...and when they opened their eyes again, Dipper was still standing in front of them. He too had his eyes shut as he clumsily, but bravely, stood his ground. As Pacifica realized quickly enough, though Dipper was noble enough to lay down his life to save her, it was not Dipper who ended up saving her life.

Grunkle Stan knocked the spider-creature out cold with just one swift uppercut, sending it flying back into the cavern walls. Panting heavily, Grunkle Stan stood back up, wiping sweat off his brow, then boisterously laughed out loud.

"That's right! I did that!" Stan exclaimed, "And I'll do it again anytime!"

And that's when multiple pairs of eyes peered out from the darkness.

"But not this many," Stan said, "Everybody scram!"

As the girls started running away like they were told, Stan ripped off the twig in the ground and held Pacifica over his shoulder, with Dipper running alongside next to them, leaving behind the screams of the cavern.

"You alright, Pacifica?" Dipper asked.

"I-I think so," Pacifica replied.

"Save the lovebird chit-chat for later," Stan told them, "I'd like to make it off of this mountain!"

* * *

Candy led everybody to the sky tram where they could easily ride down the mountain and escape the wrath of the spider-creatures. It seemed like such a good idea at the time...until the recording on the tram's speakers dulled their mood.

"Welcome to Trambience, the world's slowest treetop tram ride. Enjoy the sights at 0.1 miles per hour!"

"Awww, c'mon!" They all cried.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Dipper asked.

"No it can't. This is Trambience."

"Wow, it's like it can hear us, dudes," Soos said.

"SOOS?!"

No one expected to see Soos with them on the tram, so they all jumped back into one corner, still a little jumpy from the chase they had just been put on. Soos, of course, looked as if he hadn't a care in the world, holding out his smartphone and taking pictures of the view.

"Soos, what are you doing up here?" asked Dipper.

"Don't ask," Stan replied, "If it's not one crazy misadventure, it's another."

"Actually, I was texting Melody while you guys were inside the mountain," Soos replied, "I thought it'd be nice to show her some photos of our trip, so I came up here to get a good view."

"Wow, Soos," Stan said, "That's actually the most normal thing I've seen on this entire mountain. I _literally_ was not expecting this."

"Did you get enough pictures, Soos?" asked Candy.

"Uh, yeah, I think I got some good ones," Soos replied.

"Good," replied Candy, pulling down the emergency switch.

"Wait, what did you..."

Everyone suddenly began screaming as the tram was detached from the rails, rolling down the side of the mountain, everyone inside bouncing from the floor to the ceiling. The hectic ride came to a stop when it crashed in front of the Paul Bunyan statue in the front of the tourist trap, sending it toppling over.

Pacifica was still dizzy from the unexpected fall, so much so she didn't notice she had landed right on top of Dipper. Dipper himself was just getting his vision back, no longer seeing a blurry blob of neon, but rather the face of Pacifica. Or at least part of it. Some of it was covered by loose strands of hair that came undone during their tumble.

"We...we're alive," Dipper said, out of breath.

Pacifica started laughing, her hands still on Dipper's chest, just now realizing he was right...they really were alive. After the Fountain and Darlene, they were all still alive.

"EEEEEEEEEEEE!" Mabel squealed.

Both kids turned to see the other twin, her face bubbling with excitement, nearly red from trying to contain it.

"SO...CUTE!" Mabel exclaimed.

At first they hadn't realized what she meant...until they just then remembered Pacifica was on top of him. She jumped off of him and looked away, blushing as she tried to hide her embarrassment. Dipper had more or less done the same thing, but instead went back to the R.V, which had conveniently been just a few feet away from where they landed.

"So..." Pacifica said to Mabel, "You're okay with me...and your brother?"

"Pshaw! Of course I am, Paz!" Mabel replied, patting Pacifica on the back, "More importantly, I'm proud of you for finally learning how to pronounce 'sharing'!"

"Totally called it, dude," Soos said from behind.

The two girls saw the much larger man coming up from behind them, donning a knowing smile.

"Did I call it, or did I call it?" Soos asked.

"You knew?" Mabel asked.

"Who'd you think I was trying to pair up, Mabel?" asked Soos, "I think Pacifica would be great for Dipper! I mean, no offense to Candy, she's a cool little dudette, I just think Pacifica has a deep connection that makes the two intertwined forever, probably resulting from a spooky ghost adventure that brought the two closer together!"

"...thaaaat seems a little far-fetched," Mabel said skeptically.

Before Mabel could put on her 'skepticals', Pacifica interrupted with a smile.

"Actually, Mabel," Pacifica said, "He's right. You're a lot wiser than you seem."

"My wisdom is both a blessing, and a curse," Soos said.

"I do feel closer to Dipper ever since the mansion party," Pacifica admitted, "Maybe...maybe it's time I made sure Dipper knows that."

Mabel and Soos both squealed in excitement, until a big hand stopped Pacifica where she was.

"Me first, kiddo," Stan said, "We gotta talk about a few things."

* * *

 **MXZFCFZX DBQP QL HKLT PQXK YBQQBO.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Pacifica gets to know Stan better.**

* * *

For what felt like the longest time (but was actually just five minutes), Stan and Pacifica, in the driver and passenger seat respectively, had remained silent during the first few minutes of the drive, awkwardly peeking at the other from the corner of their eyes. It wasn't until they hit the first bump on the trail that Stan finally spoke.

"Listen, kiddo," Stan said, "I get that I've given you a lot of bad rap during this trip, and pretty much my life...what with your money and your attitude and your spoiled rotten family..."

"Was this supposed to make me feel better?" asked Pacifica.

"It's supposed to be an explanation," Stan replied, "...no, more of an apology really."

"You're...apologizing to me?" Pacifica asked in surprise.

"Eh, in a nutshell," Stan said, "I'm not too good at it, never been wrong a whole lot in my life..."

"Well that's humble," Pacifica said facetiously.

"You want the apology or not?" asked Stan.

"Well I appreciate it, but it's really not necessary."

"Yes it is."

Both remained silent for another few seconds. And then Stan realized he may not have another chance to make things right. And so, he bit the bullet and continued.

"I've been blaming you unfairly for everything on this trip, whether you deserved it or not," Stan said, "Fact of the matter is my problems started way before you were even born. Truth is, your parents aren't so different from mine, but trust me, that is NOT a good thing."

"They used a bell to keep you in line and punish you if you didn't?" Pacifica asked.

"They kicked me out of the house for being a screw-up," Stan replied morbidly.

"Oh," Pacifica replied, "I'm sorry to hear that. Did they like your brother better?"

"Those darn kids told you about Ford, eh?" asked Stan.

"Actually Soos did," Pacifica replied, "He kinda let it slip out."

"I knew he wouldn't be able to shut his piehole about it, not after rambling to Wendy at 3 in the morning," Stan grumbled, "But in answer to your question...yeah, in a nutshell. Got praised by everybody for his big dumb brain, they even gave him some smart-people grant after college. And what does he do with it? Spends his time and money researching ridiculously freaky creatures that make an already weird town even weirder."

"And here I thought you were a full-blown native," Pacifica said.

"Funny, Dipper once said the same thing to me," Stan said, finally lightening up a bit, "When he found out I wasn't, I had him convinced that the entire town was a figment of someone else's messed-up dream, and that waking them up would wipe the town from existence. Poor kid didn't even know I read that from some nerdy video game manual for a game that HE OWNS!"

Pacifica laughed hard at something that definitely sounded like something Dipper would do. For the first time, Stan didn't hear a haughty, stuck-up laugh that was faker than Nikki Minaj's butt. She laughed like a normal child, a regular preteen girl who felt happier than she had for the longest time. And to his own surprise, Stan felt good about it.

"How is Dipper, by the way?" asked Pacifica, "Has he said anything about me? In a different sort of way?"

"Kid, he's sweet on you whether he knows it or not," Stan replied bluntly, "But if you don't say anything to him while you can, you might lose him."

Pacifica knew he wasn't talking about Candy seeking his affection. She remembered being told Dipper and Mabel were going back home after summer vacation. And that was just a couple weeks away.

"You're right, Mr. Pines," Pacifica said, getting up from her seat.

"Call me Stan," he told her, "Just without the 'Grunkle' part, that'll get weird real quick. Trust me, I've seen Soos shirtless and that ain't going away soon."

Pacifica laughed again as she started to head to the back.

"So...are we cool?"

Pacifica could tell he was being honest. She got certain vibes from him while he was scheming, and this time wasn't one of those times.

"Yes," Pacifica said, "Apology accepted."

* * *

Dipper cleared his throat as he approached an upset Candy. He wasn't expecting this to be easy, so he had cleverly written down what he wanted to say on paper, folding it into a brochure, something he hoped Candy would appreciate.

 _A Loser's Attempt At An Apology_ , it read. Candy seemed to get the gist of it.

"It's okay, Dipper," Candy said, "I think I get it now."

"You're welcome," he said, starting to walk off before he realized what she said, "Wait, get what?"

"How you really feel," Candy said.

"Agh, look, Candy," Dipper said, nervously scratching the back of his head, "You're a cool girl, and I'm glad we're friends. But I think we're better off as just that. Friends."

"I think so too," Candy replied, "Besides, after seeing you jump in front of that spider lady for Pacifica, I don't think you're meant to be the one for me."

"Wait, Mabel was stuck too," Dipper exclaimed, "Well, not really, but she still could have been eaten."

"But you didn't think twice about protecting her from that ghost at her mansion party," Candy said.

"How do you even remember that?" asked Dipper, "You were all turned to wood!"

"That doesn't mean we couldn't see or feel what was going on," Candy said, "You really care for her. A lot more than you could care for me."

"Well I, uh, I wouldn't put it like..."

"Go to her, Dipper," she said, patting his hand, "Before you lose your chance."

Candy got up and went to join Mabel and Grenda in the back room playing the Sev'ral Timez board game. Judging by their roaring laughter, Dipper knew that all three, Candy included, were feeling better. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw the blonde in question sheepishly approach him by his seat.

"Um, think I could join you?" asked Pacifica.

Dipper patted the seat next to him, saying "Hop on."

Pacifica sat next to him, brushing off her pants from the little bits of dust she ran into leaving the passenger seat.

"So," Dipper said, "How did this trip end up for you? I know it was technically supposed to be a punishment, but..."

"Well, I wasn't too fond of being chased by spider creatures," Pacifica replied.

"Yeah, not really a high point of the trip," Dipper said.

"But, um...there were some things that made it...enjoyable," Pacifica said, "Hey, Dipper...when I ran off on you at the mountain...right before all of that fountain business..."

"If you're talking about Candy, there was nothing going on," he replied, "We sorted it out."

"Right, I figured," Pacifica said, "I wasn't jealous or anything but, y'know...I worry sometimes, at the thought of not seeing you again. O-Or Mabel, but..."

"Hey, hey, it's not like we'll fall off the face of the Earth," Dipper said reassuringly, "I mean, we can trade numbers, and there's a gazillion apps for webcam conve..."

"DipperI'mcompletelyinlovewiithyouandIthinkweweremadeforeachother!" Pacifica said in hyper-speed.

She may have been talking fast enough to need to catch her breath, but Dipper heard every word she said, and it replayed in his mind in slow motion, still trying to process what he heard. Did Pacifica just admit she liked him?

"Did...did you just say..."

"Well...yes," Pacifica said, "I've...kinda had a crush on you since the mansion party...I dunno, something about you just makes me feel...good about myself. Like I'm actually more than just my money or my family name...like I'm an actual person. You make me feel special, Dipper! I just..."

Her ramblings were interrupted when she felt a light peck on her cheek. Dipper managed to slip one in while she was pouring her heart out. And of course, both preteens were blushing immediately after, yet unable to look away from each other.

"Funny you should mention that," Dipper said, "I've kinda spent this whole 'revenge trip' trying to pick up girls to forget about Wendy...which kinda worked, I haven't thought too much about her throughout all this...but I didn't forget about you."

Pacifica rested her head on Dipper's shoulder, both looking out at the setting sun visible from their window.

"I could never forget _you_ ," Pacifica said quietly.

* * *

One minute, they're both looking out the window watching trees pass by. The next, a bright flash of white got them both up, looking in the other direction at the lens of a camera phone. And only one person had bright and cheery stickers on her phone.

"That's one for the photo album!" Mabel exclaimed gleefully.

Dipper and Pacifica both wiped their eyes, weary from what was apparently a very restful nap. They both felt the RV starting to slow down, meaning they were most likely back in Gravity Falls and almost back at the Mystery Shack.

"Mmmm...Mabel," Dipper moaned, stretching his arms, "Why did you do that?"

"How could I not?" asked Mabel, as if it were the dumbest question in the world, "You two were so cute all snuggled up together!"

"We weren't snuggled up," Pacifica said, "Were we?"

"I got the photo evidence to prove it, Paz, "I don't know whether it's adorable because you're both cute snuggled up together, or blackmail material because you were drooling on Dipper's sleeve, but either way, this one's a keeper!"

"Wait, I WHAT? NO I DIDN'T!"

"It's going in the album, Paz!"

Pacifica chased Mabel around trying to delete the photo herself. But of course, Mabel was, for all her eccentricities, a fast runner, and put up a good chase. It was all for naught, though, as the small stain on Dipper's sleeve proved her wrong, but he kept it to himself.

"SWEET LORD!" Stan cried, "Aw, come on!"

As it turns out, Stan's prank victims had come all the way to the Mystery Shack to exact justice, which would not be easy to clean up. As Stan chased out the other tourist trap owners, Pacifica had finally given up on chasing Mabel down, the latter girl having run off with Candy and Grenda to gush over it in the attic. Pacifica walked back to Dipper, panting and catching her breath.

"How...how does she do that?" asked Pacifica.

"By eating her body weight in sugar and energy drinks," Dipper said, "That's how she works."

Before Pacifica could say anything else, a familiar limo started coming around the corner up to the Mystery Shack.

"I guess...this is it for me," Pacifica said, "I have to admit...it really was fun. I'm glad I was 'dragged' onto this trip.

"We all had fun," Dipper said, "For the record, I'm glad you came along too. Even after I spent half of it writing down girls numbers...which I kinda wiped off my arm after the whole Fountain thing, so I guess that much was for nothing."

Pacifica held Dipper's arm out by the wrist, pulling out a pink, glittery sharpie that was in her pocket, writing down her number.

"Maybe this one will be worth keeping," Pacifica said with a smile.

"Yeah, this one is," Dipper said, "Though I'm better off putting it in my phone and then erasing it, or else Mabel will get even more excited than she already is. That's a whole different storm I'd rather avoid."

Pacifica looked over as the limo had finally gone into park. In the first second she looked, she was checking to see if either of her parents were looking out the window. The next second, she realized she didn't care. Still holding onto his wrist, she pulled him in for a kiss on the lips, both surprising Dipper and exciting him. He wasn't expecting it to be so warm, so soft, nothing at all like his pillow. It felt like forever before she reluctantly pulled out, starting to walk off towards her family limo.

"See you soon, Dipper," Pacifica said.

Dipper watched as the blonde girl, formerly the bane of his and his family's existence (sans Gideon and Bill), walked off having given him his number, and a kiss. Once Pacifica jumped inside the limo, Dipper walked back into the shack, neither noticing Soos inconspicuously leaning against a giant tree watching their interaction. He straightened his cap with a knowing smile.

"All in a days work," Soos said, "Though that was really more than a day, so...anyhow, they're together and that's all that matters! Good job, Soos! Thanks Soos!"

Preston stared into his newspaper while Priscilla was applying yet another layer of makeup on her face. Pacifica looked out the window watching as the Mystery Shack started shrinking from their view. Her father cleared his throat as he finally put his newspaper down.

"So, how did this little trip of yours turn out?" asked Preston, "Did you learn a lesson from all this?"

Pacifica, though not facing her father, had the biggest smile on her face, staring dreamily at the triangular window where she knew Dipper had called his abode during his stay at Gravity Falls.

"Yeah," she replied, "I think I did."

* * *

 **I know, I know, you guys wanted this to be so much longer, kinda like the show itself, but all good things must come to an end. I must say, this was fun to write though, as it was, so far, the most reviewed, most read, and most favorited fic on my profile (possibly more than my other stories put together). Anyhoo, thanks for reading this.**

 **And Go Team Dipcifica.**


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